How does a man know he has found his inner barbarian? For Jason Momoa, it revolved around reaching out to his he-man friends.

“I wanted to have my nose broken for this role but wasn’t sure how to accomplish it,” says the Iowa native.

So, he enlisted a friend with a fist.

“I was like, ‘Dude, I have this idea. I think you should break my nose. Would you do it?’” Momoa recalls. “My buddy just did it right away, damn it. After it was over, I said, ‘Dude, didn’t you want to think about it for a minute?’ But we’re guys and he said, ‘You don’t have to ask me twice. Done deal.’

Yes, boys will be barbarians in the new installment of “Conan the Barbarian,” the film franchise that made Schwarzenegger a superstar. Dark-haired, beefy Momoa is at the forefront of new epic battles against very muscular rivals and a few horrific monsters as his Conan tries to save the great nation of Hyboria from supernatural evil.

“He’s a man. He fights, he f—s. He’s a pirate thief. He’s flawed,” Momoa says. “He’s a soldier and a warrior. He won’t fall in battle. Plus, women think he has this animalistic, primal side to him that’s sexy. Above all, he says what he means.”

The 32-year-old was born in Honolulu but grew up in Norwalk, Iowa. After high school, he returned to Hawaii, where he broke into acting with a role in “Baywatch.” Momoa also has starred on series including “North Shore,” “Stargate: Atlantis” and “The Game.”

He also plays Khal Drogo in the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones” and marvels at his newfound fame, including a recent appearance on Jay Leno’s show.

“I did refuse any makeup,” he says. “Someone wanted to put powder on me and I said, ‘Are you nuts? I’m a barbarian.’”

You sound a little upset. What irks Conan?

I just talked to some of the foreign press, and they thought the movie was violent. It’s “Conan”! People know they’re going to watch “Conan” and not “The Prince of Persia.” Conan is supposed to kick ass. I think this movie does a great job of reinventing a classic. Tonight, I’m going to go watch an early screening of it with a bunch of my buddies and then go drink some beers. I know they’ll love the action in the movie, and I’m not worried about what they think of me as an actor. They know I’m an idiot.

How were you cast?

I was cast because I do “Game of Thrones” and the film had a mutual casting director who knew my work. He said, “This kid is our new Conan.” Actually, being cast as Conan wasn’t a nail-biting thing. Getting the HBO series was the nail-biter because I had to wait to find out, plus they didn’t want to cast out of America. It was seven months of ups and downs. With “Conan,” I was equally thrilled because it was a truly iconic role and a departure from who I am. Plus, it is iconic, so I had a feeling of, “Let me show you what I can do with it.”

3 Any worries that audiences will be comparing you to Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Of course, but then again, Sean Connery and Daniel Craig are both James Bond and both phenomenal. We saw Jack Nicholson do the Joker in “Batman” and thought no one else could do it. Then Heath Ledger came along and won an Oscar for it. It’s apples and pears or peaches and cream. The point is that it’s a new day for Conan. … When I started this movie, I watched the first Conan movie and Arnold did a great job, but it’s 30 years later. It’s actually shocking that no one redid Conan before now. … [Schwarzenegger] saw the movie and passed on a message that I did a good job. That was fantastic to hear.

Did you bulk up for the role?

I did a lot of weight training to transform my body. I also learned Asian movement because I have to wield that big sword. Basically, I wanted to do that with the gracefulness of a cat. I even studied big cats and the way they walk and hunt. In the end, I put on about 35 pounds for both “Conan” and “Thrones.” It was fun to put on just weight for “Thrones.” I ate pizza and drank Guinness. On “Conan,” I had to put on muscle, which was tough. I had to eat lean protein and keep a crazy level of training up.

Did you come away with any good injury stories?

Oh, I almost died on the horse a few times. Once, the horse’s feet went out underneath him and I slid off his neck. When the horse fell, his butt almost crushed me but missed me by a narrow margin. I was also bucked off and broke a rib. You heard about my broken nose. Don’t tell my wife. There were also mornings where I had to crawl out of bed because my body was hurting so bad. So, I’d just put some Epsom salts in my tub and sit there. Then I’d go back to the set and do a few more stunts, knowing that if something really happened to me, I’d be … word deleted.

TR3S has some soundbytes from Rose McGowan & Rachel Nichols on the women (and men) of Conan:

Who says the new Conan the Barbarian movie is just for guys? Despite plenty of sword fights, explosions, and bone-crunching stunts, this latest theatrical reboot also includes some pretty dynamic female characters. Star Trek’sRachel Nichols plays Tamara, a headstrong love interest for the Cimmerian warrior, and Rose McGowan portrays Marique, an evil witch. Both actresses spoke exclusively to Tr3s about their roles at a recent Conan press conference.

“It was fun being able to play a witch,” McGowan explained. “I don’t think I’ve ever played a character that was so unconstrained. Normally you’re asked to pull back with a character, but not here. We had a lot of fun with it.”

Interestingly Rose has played a witchy woman before, back in the early 2000’s, when she had a starring role on the cult series, Charmed. But for Conan, she’s exploring much darker territory. Her character uses magic for pure evil and comes with her own very unique look.

“I think Marique is kind of amazing looking,” McGowan said. “But it took six hours in the makeup chair to get that way.”

Rachel, on the other hand, plays the lady heroine of the film and a very sexy love interest for Conan. When asked about her chemistry with star Jason Momoa, Nichols had nothing but praise.

“I loved working with Jason,” she said. “There’s something about him. He’s a huge presence. He’s a big guy and he’s got that booming voice, but there’s also something really sweet about him.”

Don’t worry fellas, this revamped Barbarian is anything but soft. Throughout the film, Jason racks up quite a body count with some insanely intense action sequences (as Rose can attest).

Rachel was quick to chime in on the topic too, making sure that fans knew the women in the film are just as capable of swinging a blade as the boys. When speaking about her character Tamara, she said,

“Tamara definitely gives Conan attitude. There’s some hostility in their relationship. She is not the typical damsel in distress. I really like the modern idea of ‘I don’t need Conan to save me, I can save myself’.”

You can see just how “epic” Rose, Rachel, and Jason’s scenes get when Conan the Barbarian arrives in theaters next Friday.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette has an article about two local entertainment lawyers who were tied into the upcoming film, which has a lot of fascinating information about the rights situation and eventual production of the new Conan film:

NORTHAMPTON – Bringing a barbarian to the big screen takes a lot of civilized work behind the scenes. Just ask Northampton entertainment lawyer Frederick Fierst and his son, Daniel Fierst.

Both are in Los Angeles today for the red carpet premiere of the new “Conan the Barbarian” 3D movie. The elder Fierst, 63, is credited as an executive producer on the film for his role transferring the Conan franchise to new owners. The film opens worldwide Aug. 19.

California-based Paradox Entertainment Inc. acquired Conan and other intellectual property of author Robert E. Howard in 2003 for about $6 million, Fierst said.

Daniel Fierst, 28, worked for Paradox for three years as its president’s personal assistant. A 2002 Northampton High School graduate, he got to see the Conan reboot in its early stages, arranging meetings between Paradox and the relatively unknown production company that made the movie, Millennium Films.

“Everybody in Hollywood thought we were crazy for going with Millennium rather than one of the major studios,” Frederick Fierst said. “But we were convinced they were going to make the film instead of (sending it to) development hell.”

Paradox has been the licensing authority for other Conan commodities, including a comic book series and an online game, for years. But until 2007 all the Conan film rights belonged to Warner Brothers.

Fierst said the studio never followed through with a feature, and so when its claim lapsed, Paradox took it over.

The film is directed by Marcus Nispel, who is known for remakes of “Friday the 13th” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” as well as documentaries on musicians including Janet Jackson and George Michael.

In the title role is the heavy-browed Jason Momoa, who played another barbarian in the recent HBO miniseries “A Game of Thrones,” and also starred in the final season of “Baywatch.”

Daniel Fierst said Paradox wanted a “Conan” that was true to Howard’s stories from pulp magazines of the 1930s. He said the Conan played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in a 1982 film was a “hodgepodge bastardization,” borrowing a villain from a different Howard series, “Kull of Atlantis,” and making the hero a slave.

“That was outrageous to fanboys,” Daniel Fierst said. “They’d say Conan would die before he became a slave.”

Indeed, in a trailer for the new film, Momoa’s Conan says, “No man should live in chains.”

Frederick Fierst said Paradox went out of its way to make peace with Conan purists, donating to the fan-run Robert E. Howard Foundation. He said part of the new movie was screened at the group’s recent convention in Texas, and it was well received.

Last summer Frederick Fierst traveled to Bulgaria to see some of the filming. He said many of the special effects shots were done in a former Soviet propaganda studio, and there was also location shots around the country, including one in a gigantic cave where the movie’s climactic final scene takes place.

A partner at Fierst, Pucci & Kane on Gothic Street, Frederick Fierst formerly represented Mirage Studios, which sold the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise to Viacom in 2009 for $60 million. He said Nickelodeon is now developing a new Turtles animated series.

Acquiring the Howard universe involved a lot of trademark and copyright work, in which Fierst said he was helped by two associates at his firm, Amanda Schreyer and Hun Ohm, and paralegal Diane Kleber.

The New York Times has an interview with Stephen Lang about his career, touching upon his time as Khalar Zym in Conan, and with a quote from Marcus Nispel:

THE news that “Conan the Barbarian” was being screened for journalists in New York brought a mischievous grin from the ferocious warlord Khalar Zym, a k a Stephen Lang. “Do I own it?” he asked. “It’s an innocent question. I’d like to think I could do a romantic comedy, you know? But villains are a necessity. Without them, what’s your hero got?”

Mr. Lang is quick to joke. (“He’s so warm and inspiring and infectious,” he said of one director. “Not in a diseased way. In an enthusiasm way.”) But he combines charm with discipline. As Mr. Nispel put it, “I wasn’t aware how extensive his theater background was, but doing ‘Conan’ is theatrical. It’s swords and sorcery, and even in the world of such theatrics there has to be an authenticity. You have to be able to deliver those kinds of lines and be believable. A lot of people just can’t.”

Inhabiting the author Robert Howard’s hallucinatory, hyperviolent world of Hyboria couldn’t have been further from Mr. Lang’s “White Irish Drinkers” character, an alcoholic laborer and his family’s own domestic terrorist.

(“Hallucinatory”?)

Here’s an unexpected interview, a 26 minute(!) chat with Alina Puscau, who talks about her experiences, including (of course) Conan:

Anyway, the next batch of videos are interviews with TalkingPicturesTV. First off, Jason Momoa, where he talks about picking nude Bulgarian women, bringing Howard’s prose to screen, and keeping Conan’s humanity:

We also have an interview with Rachel Nichols (pictured above in a backless dress, undoubtedly a remarkable feat of engineering), and sadly, though this is her first sex scene in a film, we find she had stunt boobs (hand-picked by Jason Momoa himself), so all those who are nothing short of obsessed with seeing more of Rachel may be disappointed. Those concerned about spoilers should probably miss this one, though, since Rachel gives away the ending(!):

The rule of three dictates a final interview, and it’s with Rose McGowan:

In more general Robert E. Howard news, the creator of Conan got into 68th place in NPR’s Top 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels list. Since these lists are inevitably popularity-based, I’m taking it as a great sign that Howard’s on the list at all, rather than worrying about placement. One can only hope that the new film will boost REH’s popularity, and that we’ll be seeing him talked about a lot more, and in favourable terms.

Am I the only one who really hates the awful processing they do to all these stills that makes them look like really heavy-handed HDR photos? They look absolutely terrible.

Marko Susimetsa

I’ve hated them since the first one came out. They are utterly unenjoyable.

Anonymous

“When I started this movie, I watched the first Conan movie and Arnold did a great job, but it’s 30 years later.”—-

I thought Jason Momoa said repeatedly he had not seen the original Conan the Barbarian movie? I thought it was an interesting approach to playing Conan and was somewhat impressed how adamant he was about not seeing it before shooting the movie, so this statement seems strange.

Marko Susimetsa

Might just be a mistake in the write-up, but it would be nice to know for sure…

http://www.ageofconan.de Waldgeist

I can imagine it was one of those Jason mind-jumps he always does in his interviews. So he might have said “When I started this movie,…. *mindjump* I watched first Conan movie..” he does that in every single interview he ever did and since the writeup is so cleaned up, I can see that this was taken a bit out of context.

Anonymous

In his head, the voice on the left side says:
“Jason, don’t forget what your agent told you to repeat”
and the right voice tells him:
“Jason, just tell the damn truth”.

how can some be so surprised to learn this now?

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4PO4H3JBW5X4Z5VRNA3UQIB6TA Finn Thebarbarian

He’s got a lot going on with the premiere and slipped up and accidentally said the truth. His handlers will be most displeased. But, he has to worry less about speaking propaganda since the movie is coming out and he will be free to speak his mind soon. Especially if the movie doesn’t do good enough to earn a sequel.

Anonymous

Yes, it’s either a Freudian slip which reveals a vast conspiracy* intended to denigrate the original film…

Or, Momoa has finally gotten around to watching the original film- something he’s been promising to do for weeks now.

(*No doubt the result of countless meetings where studio execs sat around saying, “How can we diminish the sheer respect and admiration the moviegoing public feels for Arnold Schwarzenegger? He’s truly beloved and the people feel he can do no wrong.”)

Went to the Conan premiere last night at the 02 and I got to meet the great man himself. He was just standing outside waiting to go in to the press conference… There was no fanfare just him and his lovely assistant. I went up and introduced myself . Hes not as big in real life as you are lead to believe in some of the photos but he was easilly recognizable all the same. I was so thrilled to finally meet….Taranaich!
Oh, Jason Momoa was there too.

The great man is doubtless working on a thesis as we speak. We did discuss it at some length after the showing until we got kicked out of the theatre. Then we went had drinks-discussed it some more-went had something to eat-discussed it some more…In fact it was a great night. Idon’t feel its my place to speak for Taranaich-but rest assured he’ll have a lot to say! I will advise anyone going, however, to catch a 2D showing. I’m still suffering a headache.

That’s it Stevie? That’s all you got to say for yourself? Now that it’s official: You didn’t like the movie – why don’t you tell us why? Inquiring minds would like to know . . .

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4RFLHF3MK7673MIPEVQNXLYANI Abe Vigoda

Did you sign an NDA? Why so secretive? Did you enjoy it or not, and how was Momoa as Conan?

Anonymous

all I want to know is, is it better than Captain America?

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4RFLHF3MK7673MIPEVQNXLYANI Abe Vigoda

Sounds like it couldn’t have been all bad, or there wouldn’t have been enough to discuss to fill three discussion sessions.

Anonymous

In one of the latest interviews he says he saw the ’82 film “like 4 days ago”. So yes, he has seen the film but not until very recently. I think the “I watched the first Conan movie and Arnold did a great job” it’s like a parenthesis; is not supposed to be linked to “When I started this movie”.
I don’t know if you have noticed but Momoa does not come across as the most articulate person in interviews. I think he gets a little nervous and excited.
Now, if you want to believe in conspiracies, knock yourself out. However, I don’t think the world is that interesting.

Anonymous

Well, some people don’t seem to think so. Here’s an early review that absolutely destroys the film. It’s like written by Bumla Foom or something”

I find it strange that Steve had so much to say about a movie he hadn’t seen yet, but is now saying nothing now that he has seen it.

Anonymous

I read that the author of that review was knocking the movie since day one, so it’s no surprise to me that this is his reaction. I’d be surprised if any of the naysayers who have been raking this movie over the coals for the past year will say anything remotely positive if it is warranted. Needless to say, I reserve judgment until I see it with my own eyes.

Anonymous

A Nispel hater and Arnie fan boy, for sure. That being said, this comes as hardly a shocker . . .

Anonymous

Wow, that is a brutal, scathing review, to be sure. Can’t wait to see this abortion of a film I have been waiting 20 years for. Going to be a great experience!

I hated most of it. There were flashes of things that could have been good had they sat down and thought about it.But those flashes are all too brief and overlooked in favour of- on with the mayhem!! The fight scenes are awful- due to last minute choreography, bad camera positioning and fast cut shakey cam interspersed with slo-mo.Theres no sword fighting to speak of just close ups of angry faces and bodies whirling around occassionaly being tossed about on wires. Not one memorable sword fight. In a Conan film.
Momoa plays Conan as if he were the Hulk. All the way through the film. A constant raging angry psychopath. He has potential and looks believable as Conan. Just very one dimensional. The whole thing plays out a lot like ‘Pathfinder’ but a ‘Pathfinder’ on crack with many of the same problems. Its a virtually souless piece of celluloid. Just faster and louder and ultimately more confusingly annoying to watch because of all the great potential you feel has gone too waste.You really couldn’t give a frig for any of the characters -what there are of them. Even Conan comes across brutally unlikeable at times.

You guys are so paranoid, already another blogger thought it was me in the negative review that was sent “anonymously” to Taranaich.
Now you think I’m that dude from blogs.indiewire.com.
What will it be in a few weeks, you’ll see me in every negative review? Crom!

Anonymous

How pathetic, you see me everywhere now that you know the unemployment office is waiting for you.

Nispel hater I am, for many good reasons, his utter incompetence for instance, but Arnie fanboy you’re wrong. The austrian guy has charisma but he isn’t the closest that could ever be to the Conan we all know, as I’ve read in some ignorant reviews.

Doesn’t mean because Nispel went sideways like crazy that Arnold becomes automatically the best Conan that was.

Anonymous

I meant the review read as if you had written it. Not that you actually did write it. Of course you didn’t. I don’t even think you have seen the film yet. Chill out man.

Anonymous

You may have to consider that perhaps a large portion of Conan fans may NOT appreciate such a movie, but I’ll give you my personal opinion in a few days let’s say end of the week or beginning of the next.

Chill? I’ve never been so chilled out, it’s the summer dude, I’m enjoying it. And I already wrote that I haven’t seen the film yet in my reply to Derek77

Anonymous

There’s also a new interview where he admits to seeing it “not too long ago”, so I’d say we have managed to solve the mystery.

As for the “conspiracy” comment, I was making light of everyone who continues to act as though Momoa has some hidden agenda while promoting this film. As you point out, he’s clearly just having a good time and never appears very experienced when it comes to doing press interviews.

Anonymous

Yes, I fully expect a lot of people won’t like this film. I suspect I won’t like it that much either but I still hope to be entertained. As much as I like Conan the character and admire REH’s originality, I’m not as invested in the whole thing as some folks seem to be and hopefully, this will allow me to have some fun. We’ll see soon.

I figured you haven’t seen it ’cause it’s not the 19th yet. Although, didn’t it open in France already? -Either way, I’m sure you’ll let the world know what you think ASAP.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4RFLHF3MK7673MIPEVQNXLYANI Abe Vigoda

Thanks for the impressions. I can’t decide if I want to see it to send the message that ticket buyers want R-rated fantasy, or if I should skip it to send the message we don’t want crap.

I kind of have the feeling that if the movie bombs, the studio will think “the problem was that we should have made it PG-13 and had more comedy and romance in it.”

“Out of the new “Conan the Barbarian”. Fans of the character will be quite happy with the reboot, works well for what it is.”

Anonymous

My comment of “Nispel hater” and Arnie fan boy” was not directed at you, but the author of the indiewire review. Maybe you should chill out, Bumla . . .

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4RFLHF3MK7673MIPEVQNXLYANI Abe Vigoda

Garth also said: “@ThePlaylist Wow, harsh on “Conan”. I went in utterly dreading it and walked out mostly bored – so it was higher in my estimate.”

Not exactly high praise.

Anonymous

@Abe Vigoda
True, but “fans will be quite happy” and “works well for what it is” is a far cry from “unbelievably awful”. (The latter of which implies that NO ONE could’ve possibly predicted this film would receive negative reviews.)

It also suggests the film may play well with the same crowds that supported similar fare like Clash of the Titans and The Expendables- which is clearly what Lionsgate is aiming for.

Let’s talk about tomatoes when there will be like hundreds of them, then we’ll sort them out. Four is a joke, the film isn’t even released in north america nor europe , apart from premieres

Anonymous

Agreed, he thinks of Frazetta before Howard, did he see the Arnold movie or not? Big deal. I refuse to give this movie power over me.

Anonymous

Okay, let’s get a few things straight…pure Conan has nothing to do with your cheesy graphic novels, comic books, etc. It’s the original, superbly written Robert E. Howard short stories and novels, which were (some) also filled in by the excellent writing of L. Sprague deCamp and Lin Carter, both of who did a masterful job of matching Howard’s style of writing to flesh out the series and outlines. The first movies with Arnold were total crap, and completely different from any real Conan story that existed. The entire storyline in both was wrong. Conan also has blue-black hair, blazing blue eyes, and is muscled like a panther…lean, powerful beyond belief for a human, lithe, agile, and with an unschooled high intellect…in other words, nothing like Arnold. So remaking the movie is not an insult to the “real” Conan, since Arnold’s version was anything but. Although Arnold was eventually a semi-decent actor, his acting in those was terrible. Thulsa Doom was not even a character in the Conan books, because I read them all in the late 60’s-early 70’s, and I know that he was from one of the other of several of Howard’s barbarian heroes, King Kull. Sadly Thulsa Doom did not even appear where he should have, in the abominable Kevin Sorbo movie about Kull. In not a single Conan story is there anything about searching for his father’s killer, so this new one has already got the story wrong, which scares me…will this be another abomination? Or will they at least get the spirit of it right, even though the story is wrong already? Why can’t anyone do the “real” Conan? At least some black hair dye and some bright blue contact lenses…but at least Momoa’s physique seems about right for the descriptions in the book. We can only hope that he doesn’t come off as a stupid buffoon, like the way Arnold played it. Getting the Hyborian Age details right would also be great. Howard wrote the history of the Hyborian Age so his readers would have a sense of context, so all the screenwriters have to do is a couple hours of research…I hope they already did, or the new movie may be as poor as everything else since Howard, deCamp and Carter set the standard for what is great in “everything Conan”.

Anonymous

So , everyone, yesterday evening was the great one
the one I was expecting for , nearly a year and a half,or maybe , inconciously, the one I was expecting for nearly 30 years.
therefore, it was almost 10pm when the so long-awaited movie began and I was excited like a child on christmas morning, and I managed to convey this excitement to my beloved wife, I have no talent for writtng as many chap of this blog but I will try to give my views on the film the most serenely possible, for anger and worse, abysmal disappointment are not attenuated yet.
I don’t know where to start, the multiple betrayals of REH original works ?even the so famous off screen monollogue from the beginning is devoided to stick the film plot. And this plot is neither more nor less than the old aged tale of revenging daddy’s death by slaying his naughty murder.Then, certainly the first 15 minutes are quite stakeholders an leo howard is , like others have said ,great as young conan, but just after the plan when he holds high the sword above his head and screams out his wrath for he could not save his father, you know by the off screen voice that the seeking of revenge will be his main goal in life.
and from there, I completely dropped out of the film,because for me, this is ultimate betrayal of our favorite barbarian’s psychology,yes , you jolly folks , this is said loud and clear , the sullen temper of conan is due to the fact he could not save his very father, so he keeps on slaying , robbing, ship hacking,until his only and major quest in live will be accomplished: avenge the death of his beloved father , once for all: CONAN DOES NOT GET TO KHALAR ZHIM BY CHANCE .
, HE’S BEING SEEKING FOR IT INTENTIONNALY for many years.
from that point, I thought :”ok , it ain’t no conan film, once again, let’s just hope for a good sword and sorcery or at least a descent action movie…”Well, to my great disfortune, not even that: no pace, too many close ups, no continuaty, no depth, no epic,in short, everything taraneich wrote in his negative review, I confirm, JM could have been a fantastic conan, but it seems like the director did not want him to be, you never see him on screen as a fucking giant of a man he is in real life!
what to say about the sword fighting, shot to close, even the war scene at the beginning between KZ army and the cimmerians is sloppy…
and what is this goddam “sword thing ” , conan coming back home (??) at the end and ; no i must shut my mouth up, you’ll see by yourselphes, no conan-esque at all, ok I must quit, I try to find a fancy conclusion but word don’t come, one last word: A CONAN FILM IS STILL TO BE DONE.